the bottom (this will be referred to as the back), as shown in fig. 3: Bend down all of the pins on the “safe” sides so that they cannot hurt you. These are the safe pins. I will refer to each of these eight individual pieces as “pin cards.” You also need a very unique display board for this effect (fig. 4). Cut the board so that it is approximately 10" by 20" and then fold it in half lengthwise. Open the board back out and then place four of the pin cards at the end nearest to you, arrows pointing inward. Trace around these with chalk and number them one to four
2 3 i Outside o f board Inside o f board
Place a container over each of the pins and then fold over the board. Mark the exact location of each container on the other side of the card, This allows you to then cut out eight circles at the opposite side to the arrows so that each circle is just a little larger than your containers. The end result is that you should be able to fold the board over so that it perfectly goes over the containers (fig. 6). Finally, with the board folded over, draw arrows from circle to circle exactly as shown below in fig. 7: • • • • • • • • 0 - * 0 0 ' 0 till 0 0^0 0
Setup Place a container over each of the pins and stack the two sets of rectangles together, in the order given in fig. 3 (with the leftmost boards going on top), creating two piles of pin cards (fig. 8). Lay the board out onto the table with the arrows pointing away from you. Handling Invite a participant to stand behind the table (where you would normally stand) and ask her to lift and replace the covers one by one on the top two pin cards to see that under each one is a pin. Point out that some of the pins are pushed downward and some are left sticking up. Turn your back as she looks at the pins. Instruct the participant to pick up one of the pin cards, from either pile, and to put it in position one on the board. Ask that she do this (taking a pin card from either pile) for the remaining three slots, and at any time she may peek under some covers to see that she really has different choices at each stage. Ihen ask that she fold the board over so that all you can see is eight containers sticking up. If the participant feels that the containers are marked in any way, she may also randomly switch the containers around at this point. You can also cover up the unused pin cards (Tomas uses a chef’s cloche for this). Reiterate that under each container is either a safe pin or a dangerous pin, but due to the random nature of the process, you have no idea what is under each cup. Position yourself at the table and explain that you will mentally deduce whether you think there is a sharp pin under each of the containers. You will start at the bottom left and follow the arrow pattern on the board, going all the way through each container. Start by holding your hand over the bottom left container and claim that you believe that container is dangerous. Remove the container and let everyone see that it is, indeed, dangerous.
The first container is the only one that you know for sure is dangerous. You must use the interlocked Gilbreath principle to detect the rest. There are two rules that you must follow: If you follow a forward or backward arrow: dhe arrow between the first and second cups points forward; therefore you must follow this rule. You simply need to look at the colour of the current thumbtack (in this case, the first one). If it is dark, the next cover has a pointed pin under it. If it is light, the next cover has a pushed-down/safe pin under it. If you have identified a safe container, push your thumb down hard onto the container. If you have identified it as dangerous, tell your audience so and remove the container. If you follow a horizontal arrow: This is the opposite of the pin next to it. In the case of the third container, you must simply look across to the second pin and remember that it is the opposite of what is under the cover. So, if the second container was safe, the third container is dangerous and vice versa. Continue this way, following the arrows around the board, carefully considering the two rules. Do not ever push down on a container until you are completely sure that it is safe.
Tomas released this effect through Ben Harris WowBound brand over a decade ago. The intriguing concept here is that it is presented as a bona fide scientific experiment and not as a magic trick. Effect Tomas introduces his latest study: “ The people we call m ind readers are really good at extracting information p o m m agnetic fields induced by currents in others people’s brains. When someone concentrates on something, and at the same tim e stresses the mind, the currents in the brain induce extra-strong m agnetic fields, which almost any person can pick up. At least, that’s my hypothesis, and I have designed a portable test kit to do a scientific study?’ He displays (and shuffles) ten cards, each with ten three-digit numbers on them. All the numbers are different, meaning that there are one hundred numbers in total. Tomas spreads the cards on the table and asks a participant to concentrate on one of the numbers. As a reaction test, she is asked to quickly put her finger on any corner of the card that has her number on it, not giving any indication of where her number is. This won’t be very hard for her as she knows where her card is. She didn’t have to stress her brain, so no strong fields were induced. Tomas then shuffles the cards and asks the participant to continue concentrating on her number. He keeps eye contact with her as he deals the cards onto the table again. This time she has no idea where her number is, so when Tomas asks her to quickly find it, her mind clearly gets stressed as she quickly hunts for the card with her number on it. This stress apparently means that the induced magnetic fields in her brain arc painfully strong, which allows Tomas to name her thought-of number. As an afterthought, Tomas removes a sheet of paper with two columns: success and failure. He adds another tick to the success column (of which there are hundreds of ticks), leaving the failure column pretty much empty. He quips, “I need to do the test a fe w more times to get some statistical significanceT
Requirements You need to print ten, double-sided, business cards as follows: Front: L_U o a QCcx C _) 1 932 2 813 3 468 4 136 5 754 6 430 7 489 8 752 9 357 10 642 Back: 1 959 2 813 3 986 4 310 5 469 6 964 7 856 8 623 9 420 10 582 1 578 2 916 3 986 4 823 5 126 6 322 7 587 8 867 9 387 10 612 1 851 2 679 3 468 4 823 5 432 6 538 7 215 8 291 9 837 10 579
CARD FIDE CARD FOUR CARD TAAFF 1 559 2 594 3 789 4 310 5 432 6 833 7 492 8 910 9 274 10 725 1 336 2 922 3 913 4 682 5 469 6 538 7 290 8 843 9 864 10 135 1 590 2 584 3 435 4 421 5 306 6 964 7 215 8 852 9 146 10 853 1 919 2 982 3 522 4 136 5 126 6 833 7 290 8 852 9 746 10 162 1 804 2 724 3 130 4 472 5 754 6 322 7 492 8 843 9 146 10 253 1 614 2 194 3 720 4 346 5 861 6 430 7 587 8 910 9 864 10 853
<_n a PCcx ( _ j 1 614 2 863 3 895 4 766 5 688 6 282 7 856 8 291 9 746 10 253 1 590 2 863 3 419 4 470 5 971 6 912 7 489 8 867 9 274 10 135 1 804 2 194 3 419 4 873 5 338 6 571 7 915 8 623 9 837 10 162 1 919 2 724 3 720 4 470 5 219 6 883 7 517 8 980 9 420 10 579 1 336 2 584 3 895 4 873 5 219 6 158 7 416 8 752 9 387 10 725 1 559 2 922 3 435 4 766 5 338 6 883 7 429 8 709 9 357 10 612
1 851 2 982 3 130 4 346 5 971 6 158 7 429 8 893 9 417 10 582 1 959 2 679 3 522 4 472 5 861 6 912 7 416 8 709 9 196 10 803 1 578 2 594 3 913 4 421 5 688 6 571 7 517 8 893 9 196 10 642 1 932 2 916 3 789 4 682 5 306 6 282 7 915 8 980 9 417 10 803 Setup Orientate all of the cards the same way. To identify the front of each card, add the last two numbers together; if they sum up to 999, you are looking at the front of the card. It does not matter which way the whole packet faces, just that the orientation of all cards are the same. Handling Start with the presentation about mind stress (as described within the effect) and bring out the packet of cards, without flashing their backs. Deal out the cards haphazardly onto the table with the numbers orientated toward the participant.
Explain to the participant that the cards have random numbers printed on them. Ask that she focus on any one of the three-digit numbers. Ask her to quickly put her finger on any corner of the card that has her number written on it, and explain that at this stage of the experiment her mind is not stressed because she already knows where the number is. The reason you ask her to point to a corner is so that she does not point to her actual number. Each of the ten cards has a hidden number within it (from zero to nine), and you must now identify to which number card the participant pointed. The number is hidden within the card, but it is very easy to find. Look for a three-digit number on the front of the card that starts with an 8 and ends with a 3. In the case of the first card, you will see the number 813; this identifies the number 1. Card number 2 has the number 823 on the face and so on. Remember the number of the card that she pointed to (I will use the number 4 in this example). These three-digit numbers only appear in an even row, which makes them much easier to find. Gather the cards, as you explain that this test didn’t put much stress on the participant. Ask her to keep concentrating on her number. Shuffle the cards and place them on your left fingers (fig. 1). Say, “7 want you to keep eye contact with me, as I deal the cards out again." On the word “me,” look up and gesture with both hands toward yourself, and then move both hands forward. As you move the hands toward you, close the left fingers, kicking the packet over onto your left palm. When you then move the hands forward, open your hands. You have now secretly reversed the packet (fig. 2). Keeping eye contact with the participant, deal the cards onto the table again, but this time with the other side up. J i W 1. 2.
Explain the rules of the reaction test again, and ask the participant to quickly place her finger onto her card. Just as before, look for the number that starts with an 8 and ends with a 3. Add the middle number to the number that you just remembered from the first phase (number 4 in this case). The sum of these two numbers tells you the row of the participant’s three-digit number. So if in the second phase the participant pointed to the card with number 3, the participant’s three-digit number would be in the 7th row (if you check on the cards, you will see that the number is 290). Should the numbers add up to 10 or more, just drop the first digit, so 13 would become 3. The convention here is that the result 0 means that the thought-of number is on the 10th row. Comments While Tomas does not hide the backs of the cards, he does not point them out either. Therefore, it does not matter if someone sees them; the implication is that the cards have numbers all over them, so it is absolutely fine. Of course, it is a good layer to the method if they think there are no numbers on the backs of the cards, but it’s not worth the trouble to convince them there are none. The Swedish magician Mikael Eriksson gave Tomas the idea of keeping a written tally of the successes, as detailed in the description of the effect. It is a fun way of making it appear like more of an experiment than a trick.
This sequence is used throughout Tomas work as I will show later in “Hoftwister, "page 165> and “TSAR, ”page264. It allows you to apparently makefour individual changes to a packet o f four cards for example, they could turn face down or change colour). Tomas intention was to make each display consistent, and to show as many cards as possible at the same time. Apart from the displacement at the start (which sets everything up), there are no unjustified displacements (another o f Tomas goals when working with false counts). By way of example, start with two face-down cards on top of three face-up cards. The audience should believe that you hold just four face-down cards. I will walk through making these “four” cards magically turn face up, one by one: 1. Using the same style of handling as the Elmsley Count, drag the first card into your right hand, followed by the second, and then push off a double card (just like you would with an Elmsley Count, but without the steal). Finally, place the remaining card on top of all, completing the spread (fig. 1). Start with an Elmsley Count (counting the cards from the left hand to the right hand), but outjog the face-up card. Place the outjogged card on top of the packet, pointing out that it has turned face up. The orientation of the packet is now face up, face down, face down, face up, face up.
j The order of the packet is now face up, face down, face up, face down, face up. Repeat the previous step. The order of the packet is now face up, face up, face down, face down, face up. /j Execute an Elmsley Count, showing the last three cards in a spread (fig. 2). All four cards have apparently turned face up. Comments Some tricks require that one face-down card is on top and one is on the bottom of the packet (with the three face-up cards between them). This is easily remedied, by adjusting the first phase as follows: Elmsley Count, outjogging the last two cards, and leave the face-up card visible at the inner end. Push the two outjogged cards square with the right index finger as the left hand pulls the face-up card inward and free from the packet. Place it on top of the packet and continue as described above. TOM RS ON THE ELMSLEY COUNT Tomas has an incredibly small finesse that makes a big difference with the Elmsley Count. He starts with the packet in the left hand and counts the cards into the right hand. Here is the finesse: before the first count, he moves his right hand completely away from the packet to make it clear which direction the card is going. The reason is that when you hold the packet with both hands before the count starts, it is not clear which hand is holding the packet and which hand is taking a card. This means that the audience might not be clear as to which direction the count is going. Tomas’ handling fixes this issue.
“Hoftwister” is Tomas flagship trick that makes use o f the Packet Morpher sequence. Effect A card is selected and returned to the deck (say, the Seven of Clubs), lomas then takes the face-up Jacks and one by one makes them magically turn face down; that is, all except for the Jack of Clubs, which stays face up to indicate the suit of the selection. In a strange turn of events, the Jack of Clubs then turns into the selection. Not only that, but the remaining three Jacks also turn into the other three Sevens to complete this surprisingly clean effect. Setup From the top down, stack the deck as follows: Seven of Hearts, Seven of Spades, Seven of Clubs, followed by the rest of the deck (the Seven of Diamonds can be anywhere in the deck). deck and outjog the four Jacks, arranging them so that the Jack of Diamonds is the third outjogged card from the face and the Jack of Clubs is the fourth. This is a simple matter of openly removing and repositioning the last two Jacks as you upjog them. Also, as you close the spread, injog the bottom two cards (fig. 1). With the Jacks still outjogged, turn the deck face down and acquire a little-finger break under the top, two, injogged cards. Lever the Jacks face up on top of the deck. As a way of clearly displaying them, take each Jack into the right hand, one under the other in a reverse spread, injogging the Jack of Diamonds slightly as you do so. The cards are held casually, but not quite in a spread condition, to facilitate the next action (fig. 2, next page). Handling Spread through i
2. As you square the packet against the left thumb (squaring only the sides of the cards so that the injog stays intact), secretly feed the Jack of Clubs into the gap created by the left little-finger break (fig. 3). The top two cards of the deck are now captured between the injogged Jack of Diamonds and the Jack of Clubs. Turn the six-card packet face down and momentarily hold it in place with the left thumb, as if you were about to execute a Tent Vanish (fig. 4). From this position, pull up on the injogged card, allowing the lowermost two Jacks to fall flush with the deck. Place the rest of this packet onto the table. The end result of this sequence (which takes no more than a few seconds to execute) is a tabled four-card packet as follows, from the top down: Jack of Clubs, face-up Seven of Spades, face-up Seven of Hearts, Jack of Diamonds. The two other Jacks are on top of the deck. Now it is time for a selection. Start spreading through the deck, culling the third card from the top (Seven of Clubs), and ask someone to touch the back of any card. Use the TB Spread Double (page 53) to load the Seven of Clubs under the selection as you outjog it. Continue the TB Spread Double by tilting up the right hand to show the selection (fig. 5), and then as you lower the deck, use your left fingers to push the lowermost card of the sidejogged double into righthand side-steal position (fig. 6). The mechanics here are somewhat like a Vernon Transfer Move, as opposed to a full palm.
Table the deck with the left hand, leaving the top card of what was the double protruding from the front of the deck. Under the misdirection of tabling the deck, move your right hand toward the tabled Jacks and secretly drop the selection on top. In a continuing action, pick up the Jacks in your right hand. Very slowly push the outjogged card into the deck. Twisting Sequence The sequence starts with a display to show that all four “Jacks” are face down in the packet; an important precursor to any Twisting effect. To do this, execute an Elmsley Count, but angle the third card counted outjogged very slightly diagonally to the left, and keep the final card in your left hand. The diagonal card acts as cover for you to buckle the bottom card with your right index finger (fig. 7). Push the left-hand card into the break formed by the buckle. Next, take the diagonally jogged card and place it on the bottom of the packet. This should seem a little haphazard and not like a fluid, considered count. Finally, turn the packet face up. If this sequence is a little over-handled for your taste, you could simply slip the top card (the selection) to the middle position like a slip cut, but Tomas feels that it is important to show that all cards face the same way before the magic begins.
dhe packet is now in the following order, from the face: Jack of Diamonds, face-down Seven of Hearts, Seven of Clubs (selection), face-down Seven of Spades, Jack of Clubs. We now move into a variant of the Packet Morpher sequence: Elmsley Count, as per the traditional Packet Morpher, but on the final two cards, just spread the top card forward a little to show the red “J ” on the bottom of the pair. Drop the two cards face up on top of the packet without reversing their order. Your patter here should be along the lines of, “ The Spade has turned over, which tells me that you r card isn’t a Spade. ” 7 Perform the push-off sequence; that is, drag the top card into your right hand, then drag the second on top of it (creating a spread), then push off a double card and place the final card on top. Say, “Your card clearly wasn’t a Heart either. ” Square up the packet. J Execute another Elmsley Count, but on the fourth count, tap the face-up Jack of Clubs with the final face-down card, before placing that face-down card on the bottom of the packet, keeping a break above it. Explain that as the Club is the only face-up card remaining, the selection must also be a Club. The current order of the packet is Jack of Clubs, face-down Seven of Hearts, Seven of Clubs, Jack of Diamonds and the face-down Seven of Spades. Colour Change Place your left thumb onto the top card and then, with your right hand, slide out all of the cards between the top and bottom cards in right-hand end grip (fig. 8). Immediately place the right-hand packet on top of the left hand’s cards, but injogged for about an inch and a half (fig. 9). Execute the Paintbrush Change to change the Jack of Clubs into the selection, the Seven of Clubs. This is a very easy change: simply push the injogged cards square with the packet, and then immediately pull back just the top card. The Seven comes into view to show the change. Take the face-down top card and place it on the bottom of the packet. You should now have three face-up cards on top of the packet: the Seven and the two Jacks.
Kicker Change I urn over the packet and execute another Elmsley Count, outjogging the face-down card as you come to it. Strip out the outjogged card and lever it face up on top of the packet. This is John Bannons Discrepancy City Display and allows you to show that all of the cards are Sevens for the big finish. Credits The Hofcinser “Four Ace Problem” (on which this effect is loosely based) was an unsolved problem that was found in a letter between Hofcinser and one of the Herrmann brothers (nobody is really sure whether it was Alexander or his brother Compars). The problem appeared in the Winter 1969 Hofcinser issue of The Pallbearers Review (Third Folio) within the article “Two Unsolved Card Problems,” but was not part of the eighteen card problems presented by Ottokar Fischer in Hofzinser’s Card Conjuring (1910, English translation 1931). To my knowledge, Don England was the first to combine Vernon’s “Twisting the Aces” plot with the Hofcinser “Four Ace Problem.” His “Twisted Hofcinser” was published in Harry Lorayne’s Best o f Friends, Volume 1 (1982). The Paintbrush Change was created by Frank Ward Cloyes as “Cloye’s Colour Change” in 1910. It was the same technique used today, but using a double-faced card to allow cleaner displays. John Bannon’s Discrepancy City Display was published within his “Discrepancy City Prediction” in his book Impossibilia (1990).
This new presentation for the classic Braue “Homing Card" introduces Pro Fusion: a concept that Tomas and Jack Parker pioneered. ProFusion is a smart Elmsley Count sequence that allows you to produce several cards from a small packet before making all but one card o f the packet vanish. Effect Intending to perform a Ihree Card Monte routine, Tomas removes three cards from the deck. However, he spreads the cards to find four cards: the three he needs, plus a rogue face-up card in the middle of the packet. He places the face-up card aside, but another one appears ... and another! In the end, he is somehow left with just one card. He then picks up the three tabled cards ... and another card appears there, too! Setup Reverse the bottom three cards of the deck and put any Four spot beneath them, face down. If you have a Monte routine that you would like to follow this routine (and you probably should follow it with a Monte routine), the cards you need for that routine should be the face-up cards. Handling Explain, “/ want to show you the fam ous Three Card M onte game. I ’ll use these three cards. You can use any cards; so long as it’s ju st three it doesn’t matter." As you patter, hold the face-down deck in left-hand dealing grip and cut about half the deck to the table. Acquire a little-finger break above the bottom four cards of the packet you still hold. This is easy because of the natural break created by the reversed cards. Retake this section in right-hand end grip, converting the break to either a thumb break or an Erdnase break. Lower your left thumb down on top of the packet and then drag the top card into the left hand. At the same time, release the four cards below the break such that they end up underneath the top card (fig. 1). Keep a little-finger break between the top card and the four-card packet. Peel the next card into the left hand and then, as you peel off a third, steal the two cards below the
break back onto the face of the packet. This is the Veeser Concept. Drop the rest of the deck on top of the tabled packet. This leaves you with a face-down card, three face-up cards and a face-down Four. Casually transfer the bottom card (the Four) to the top of the packet as you say, “Generally cheats m ove cards around like this, trying to confuse you. But it’s not too difficult to follow with only three cards. ” You will now execute the ProFusion sequence. First, execute an Elmsley Count to show a faceup card in the middle of the packet, outjogging it as you come to it. Act surprised, strip out the card and place it face up onto the table as you say something like, “Idon't rem em ber that being in there before. Sorry about that. Well try again. Like I said, it’s Three Card M onte using these three cards." Repeat the Elmsley Count and strip out the face-up card again, dropping it onto the previous one on the table. “Not again! This is annoying, as I only want three cards! Let m e try again." Repeat the Elmsley Count again to show that a third face-up card has appeared. Outjog the card, but do not remove it yet. Instead, execute the backward alignment move (as detailed previously in “113 g,” page 101) to steal away the bottom card beneath the face-up card. Briefly, with the packet in left-hand dealing grip, reach your left index finger around to the front of the outjogged card, and push it inward at the same time as you pull the top card inward. Stop pushing when you feel the outjogged card line up with the bottom card of the packet. Remove the outjogged card with the bottom card secretly below it and place them on top of the other two. You are left with a single card. Tomas sometimes uses Paul Harris’ P.H. Snap Count to give the impression that he is holding three cards. To execute this unusual move, hold the card in left-hand dealing grip and contact the inner right edge of the card with the left little and ring fingertips. Hold the card from above with the right hand, with the thumb at the back. Lift the inner edge with your right thumb and let the left little fingertip snap off the card, creating the same sound of a card snapping off the thumb (fig. 2, next page). Lift the inner end a little more and let the left ring fingertip snap off the card. It sounds like another card dropped. Finally, let the right thumb snap off the card. All of this happens in rapid succession to give the sound of three cards snapping off the thumb.
Pretend to start the trick again, and suddenly realise you only have one card. Show the face of the card to the audience as you say, “ What’s goin g on? Now I have only one card left. But you w ont believe it. It’s still fo u r f Place the Four on top of the tabled deck. There’s one more bonus left: the tabled packet still contains a reversed card. So, pick it up and say, “All I need is three single cards separate from the deck.” Sometimes the audience will suggest that you use the three tabled cards, which allows you to apparently perform the routine spontaneously. Regardless, pick up the face-up discard pile, turn it face down and count it fairly, outjogging the face-up card as you come to it. Remove it and place it on top of the deck. You are now left with three cards and can proceed with a Monte routine, if you wish, lomas just pretends to give up and throws all the cards on top of the deck. Comments If you don’t intend to follow this with a Monte routine (and therefore just want to use any three cards for this trick), you can set up in performance. Spread the deck until you reach a Four, and then spread two more cards and grip this spread firmly with the right hand. Square up all of the cards below this, secretly catching a little-finger break under the top three cards of the lower packet. Flip the right spread face down on top of the lower portion, keeping the little-finger break. Take all of the cards that are below the break and place them face down onto the table. The end result is that you now hold half the deck face down in your right hand. On top of this packet are two indifferent cards followed by a Four. At the bottom of the packet are three face-up cards. Now you must adapt the Veeser Switch phase a little. Catch a break below the bottom three cards (if you have not already obtained it when flipping the top portion over) and peel off the top card (just like in the main routine), taking the three face-up cards secretly underneath it. Do not catch a break, however. Instead, peel off one more card from the top, catch a break below it and then steal that card back under the deck as you peel off one final card. You are now set to go straight into the ProFusion sequence.
Credits Tomas and Jack published their sequence in a small ebook called ProFusion in July 2006. lh at ebook is no longer available. The basic plot is essentially a new presentation for Fred Braue’s “Homing Card” from Show Stoppers with Cards (1948). It could also be considered a variant of Tommy Tucker’s “Six Card Repeat.” Using three cards and having a fourth card continually appear is David Williamson’s “The Famous 3-Card Trick’ (Williamsons Wonders, 1989). Dan Garrett’s version of the Williamson routine transforms the packet into a single Four. His routine is called “Four Card Reiteration” and is in his lecture notes, Close Up Connivery #2 (1988). The classic Biddle Steal was first described in the April 1947 issue of Genii (Vol. 11, No. 8). The Veeser Concept, by Bob Veeser, was first published in the December 1959 issue of M -U-M (Vol. 49, No. 7). The backward alignment move can be found in Bill Goodwin’s Lecture 1988 and in Scott Robinsons Sucker Monte” from Trapdoor magazine, issue 28 (1989). Paul Harris’ P.H. Snap Count was published in The Art o f Astonishment, Volume 1 (1996).
We cant move on from the Pro Fusion concept without looking at “Pro FI of,” the effect that Tomas feels is his best work with the concept. Effect A participant is asked to select three random cards from the deck and then to select any one of those three cards. In an effort to find out the identity of the card, Tomas makes a card appear within the face-up threecard packet. It is a black Jack, lh at tells him that the selection is a Jack. Then another card appears: another blackjack. Then a red Jack appears, successfidly telling Tomas that the selection must be the remaining Jack. But things take a surprising turn. The three initial selections vanish, and when Tomas spreads the tabled deck, the selected Jack is found face up in the middle. Setup Place the four Jacks on the bottom of the face-down deck with the two face-down red Jacks sandwiching the two face-up black Jacks. Start the effect with a break above this four-card setup. Handling Spread the face-down deck and ask someone to touch the backs of any three cards, outjogging them as they are selected. After the second selection is outjogged, flash their faces to the spectators by breaking the spread and tilting up the right portion as you quip, don’t have to rem ember them allC Have a third card touched and then square up the spread, keeping your little-finger break above the Jacks. Strip out the selections, secretly executing Derek Dingle’s NoLap Switch as you remove them. This leaves you holding the four Jacks. The NoLap Switch uses the famous Vernon Strip-out Addition. Square the deck at the sides, leaving the selected cards outjogged and a break above the Jacks, lake the deck from above with the right thumb near the inner right corner (fig. 1), taking over the break with the right thumb at the back of the deck. Immediately after, move the left hand forward, secretly dragging all the Jacks forward as well, covered from above by the deck and the outjogged cards.
Extend your left fingers upward and pinch the three outjogged cards by the sides (fig. 2). Clamp the three outjogged cards with your left thumb, pinning them to the Jacks, keeping a little-finger beak between the packets. Now pull the cards free from the pack. The audience believes you are holding just three cards, but you actually hold seven. Momentarily place the deck on top of the cards in your left hand. At that moment, re-grip with the right hand by taking hold of the pack from above, in end grip (fig. 3). At the same time, steal back all the cards above the break, loading them onto the bottom of the pack. Place the deck face up onto the table and cut it into three roughly equal packets. Pretend to mix the three cards (really four Jacks), really just moving the bottom Jack to the top, then back to the bottom and finally back to the top. This works particularly well in overhand shuffle position.
Explain that the participant can choose one of the three cards and ask if she wants the top, middle or bottom. Whatever her choice, you will force a red Jack: Top: Simply show her the top card. Middle: Pull back the top card a little, and then push both the top and second card forward together. Remove the middle card and show it to the participant. This is the Annemann Alignment Move. Bottom: Execute an EYE Count and then show her the top card. An EYE Count is performed from the traditional Elmsley Count grip with three counts, as follows: 1. Peel off one card into the right hand. 2. Slide the right hand’s card back under the packet and then immediately execute a block push-off, taking all but the bottom card into the right hand. 3. Finally, place the single card on top of the packet. With the forced selection removed (say, Jack of Diamonds), push off the top card a little (not enough to expose the reversed card below it) and insert the Jack of Diamonds second from the top of the packet. Now comes the ProFusion sequence. Hold the packet over the rightmost tabled pile and pretend to catch a card from that pile in your packet. Execute an Elmsley Count to show that a blackjack has appeared in your packet. Outjog the Jack and place it on top of the rightmost pile as you say, “Well, that tells m e that you r card was a Jack. ” Repeat the Elmsley Count again to show that a second, face-up, blackjack has appeared. Outjog the card, but do not remove it yet. Instead, execute the backward alignment move (as described in the previous routine) to steal away the selection (the bottom card) beneath the face-up Jack. Place both cards, together, onto the middle packet. Say, “Now that we have both black Jacks, I know that you r card was a red Jack.” You are left with a single card, which is supposed to be three cards. In our example it is the Jack of Hearts. Carry out a through-the-fist flourish, but at the conclusion of the flourish, keep the hand palm down, acting as though you are hiding cards in your hand. Take the Jack of Hearts in your other hand and then slowly turn both hands over to show that the three-card packet has vanished as you say, “Now that we know you r card isn’t the Jack o f Hearts, we don’t need the other cards? Put the Jack on top of the last pile.
Assemble the deck with the middle packet going between the two outer packets and then spread the deck face down to show the appearance of the selection. It is best to spread the deck with the bottom portion being wider to make the selection appear more centralised in the spread. Credits The EYE Count was originally devised by Edward Victor and marketed in the Fifties as “E-Y-E.” It is the direct predecessor to the now-famous Elmsley Count (see The M agic o f Edward Victor’s Hands, 1995). The Vernon Strip-out Addition first appeared in Ten Card Problems (1932). The Dingle variation, The NoLap Switch, Second Application, appeared in The Complete Works o f Derek D ingle by Richard Kaufman (1982).
We have come to another blockbuster piece o f card magic. This one is inspired by a Mario handling o f a classic Herbert Milton effect. Effect Tomas shows a packet of thirteen red-backed cards (Ace to King of Spades, in order) and a packet of thirteen blue-backed cards in the same order. He hands the blue packet to the participant, who very fairly mixes the cards. The red-backed cards remain unshuffled. One by one, the participant turns over their cards to find that the order of Tomas’ packet exactly matches the shuffled order of the participant’s packet. Requirements The Ace through King of Spades from a red-backed deck and the Ace through King of Spades from a bluebacked deck. Tomas uses red-backed Phoenix cards and blue-backed Bicycle cards, which makes for a nicer convincer at the start of the routine. Setup Put the blue-backed cards in Ace to King order (from the top to the face) and the red-backed cards in the following order, from the top to the face: 1. Eight 6. Three 10. Six 2. Ace 7. Ten 11. Jack 3. Seven 8. Four 12. Five 4. Two 3. Nine 9. Queen 13. King Put the red-backed cards face down on top of the face-down blue-backed cards.
M ethod Spread through the cards to show that you have thirteen red-backed cards, followed by thirteen blue-backed cards. As you spread, however, cull the second from top card under the spread (Ace of Spades). When you reach the blue-backed cards, feed the culled card secretly under the top blue card and then pull the entire red packet (including the culled card) inward about an inch. Square up both packets, leaving the upper packet injogged (fig. 1). Take the red packet in right-hand end grip and lift up the front end, squaring the culled card into the blue packet with your right thumb (fig. 2). Adjust your grip on the upper packet so that it is solely held by the thumb at the back and the index finger at the front (fig. 3), and then execute the mechanics of a swing cut to take the red packet into your left hand, leaving the blue packet in right-hand end grip (fig. 4). 3. 4.
Place the blue packet on top of the red packet, injogged for about an inch, and spread the packet by pushing off a small chunk of cards first (to hide the red-back card) to show all blue-backed cards. Square up the packet and take it into right-hand end grip again. When showing the backs, Tomas points out the birds on the red Phoenix cards and the angels on bicycles on the blue Bicycle cards. He feels as though this is more interesting than showing that the packets are of one colour, and it also helps the audience connect the Ace designs better with the backs. You will now execute J.K. Hartmans Swing Slip Cut. Start to execute a swing cut at the separation of the packets, as before, but at the point where you would normally take the upper packet into your left hand (fig. 5), place your left thumb on top of the top card of the upper packet (fig. 6). Immediately reverse your actions so far, taking the upper packet back to the right, but holding the top card in place with the left thumb (fig. 7). Separate your hands. The end result is that opposite colours show on the tops of the packets, and therefore everything looks exactly as though you made a normal swing cut.
Flip the apparent blue packet face up into left-hand dealing grip, and then turn the red packet face up, injogged on top of it. Explain that the cards are in perfect order and spread the top few cards of the injogged packet, showing the faces. As you spread the cards, secretly cull the Jack of Spades and load it anywhere into the middle of this injogged packet. You simply need to move the Jack anywhere out of order. This is optional, as you will see momentarily. If you are using different brands of cards, you will see that as the Aces have been switched so that the correct Ace of Spades shows during these face-up spreads (i.e., when spreading the apparent red cards, the Phoenix Ace of Spades shows, and when spreading the blue cards, the Bicycle Ace of Spades shows). Here Tomas clearly displays the Ace and points out how its design and text relate to the backs of the cards. Once you have spread through to the Ace, push the other twelve injogged cards slightly forward of the Ace and then turn all of the cards (both packets together) over sideways. It is now easy to lift up on the Ace (fig. 8) to get a little-finger break as you square the two packets. Immediately execute a normal slip cut, cutting all of the cards above the break (with the exception of the top card, of course!) to the table (figs. 9 and 10).
This leaves you holding the blue-backed packet. Turn it over and spread through the face-up cards to show the suit in order. Apparently notice that the Jack is out of order and put it back into the correct position. This clever idea (perhaps a little too clever!) is a way of convincing the audience that you really do have two different packets of cards in numerical order. This is another part of the routine where Tomas points out how the face of the Ace relates to the back design of the cards. Place this blue packet face down onto the table next to the red packet. Mixing the Cards Ask the participant with which packet they would like you to perform the magic. Regardless of her answer, pick up the blue packet and continue with that one. If she picks the red packet, simply say, “Perfect. Ibe m agic w ill happen with the red packet. I w ill leave it here fo r a moment. ” You will now execute Paul Curry’s A Swindle of Sorts, a clever sequence that appears to put the cards out of order, when it actually does nothing. Holding the blue packet face down, deal four cards onc-by-one into a spread on the table, turning each card face up as you deal it. Now here comes the clever Curry subtlety: push over the top face-down card and then take the next card on top of it. Turn these cards face up together and place them onto the tabled spread (fig. 11). This clearly shows that the cards get out of order and convinces the spectator that switching two cards before they are dealt will mix the cards. Continue by swapping the next two cards and putting them onto the spread, but injogged for a quarter of an inch or so (fig. 12). Deal the next two cards singly, and switch the next two cards. Turn over the remaining card, put it on top of the spread and immediately turn the packet face down, keeping the injogged cards in place. Split the packet at the injog (putting the Five at the face of the upper packet) and then faro shuffle the upper packet into the lower packet (an in faro), leaving the King on the face. n.
Hand the blue packet to the participant and explain that she should now deal the cards face clown onto the table. But just like you, she can switch two cards as she deals using Curry’s Swindle of Sorts, apparently switching a pair of cards. Really, Curry’s clever ruse means that no cards are actually switched because the end result of switching two cards (reversing their order) is the same as dealing two cards individually onto the table. Talk her through the first time she switches and then let her continue. Pick up the cards and have her repeat this once more to apparently really shuffle the packet. In reality, the cards stay in the exact same order in which they started. The Selection Pick up the blue packet and spread over the top six cards. Invite the participant to touch the back of any card. As she does, you must mentally count how many cards from the top that card is. She can select any card from the packet, but spreading over six cards makes it very easy for you to count down to it. Remember this number (for explanation purposes, we will imagine that she picked the eighth card). Outjog the selected card. Square all of the cards above the selection and take this packet (with the selection) into your right hand. As you do so, secretly add the top face-down card from the lower packet underneath the selection, aligned with the rest of the packet. Drag the outjogged selection from the upper packet and flip it over sideways on top of the lower packet. Immediately replace the upper packet on top of the face-up card so that the audience doesn’t fully get to see the selection. Hand this packet to the participant. The selected card has been turned face up and secretly moved down one position in the packet. The Red Packet As there are thirteen revelations, I will break down each one separately: r Pick up the red packet and explain that nothing has happened to this packet so far. Execute a double deal, turning over the top and bottom cards of the packet at the same time on top of the packet to show an Ace. There are many double deal handlings, but the easiest is to push over the top card of the packet with your left thumb for about a quarter of an inch, and then to place your right thumb in the top right corner of the top card. Reach your right second finger under the packet (fig. 13) and drag the bottom card to the right at the same time that you drag the top card off the packet, turning both cards face up together.
Explain that you will magically make the packets adopt the same order. Ask the participant to turn over the top card of her packet; it is an Eight. Turn over the double card on your packet and then take off just the top card face down (an Eight). Rub the card on your sleeve and show that it has changed into an Eight. Drop it onto the table and instruct the participant to drop her card onto the table in front of her. Ask that she turn over her next card (the Ace of Spades) and have her drop that onto the table. Turn over your top card to show an Ace, too, and put it onto the table, forming a small spread. fhe participant will turn over a Seven next. Turn over your top card to show a Seven, too, but as you do so, catch a break below the fourth card from the top. Drop the Sevens onto your respective tabled spreads. Turn over a triple to show a Three. Ask the participant to turn over her card (aTwo). Explain that you were close, but not quite correct. Turn your triple card face down, push off the top card and show that it has changed into a Two. Drop both Twos onto your piles. Both of you turn over your next cards (Nines) and place them onto the tabled piles. ^ Again, simply turn over your top cards (Threes) and place them onto the table. 7 This time, you both turn over Tens and drop them onto the table. Here is where things get a little interesting. You’ll remember that the participant picked the eighth card earlier in the effect, and now we have come to the eighth revelation. This could have happened at any other point in the routine, so you simply need to perform this phase at whatever point is required. Execute a double turnover to show a Queen and ask the participant to turn over her Queen, too, and to drop it onto her discard pile. The face-up selection will show underneath her Queen. Hold your double card injogged about an inch from your packet (fig. 13) and then momentarily push it square with the packet, before pulling it back to reveal a face-up Four on top of your packet (fig. 14). This is the Paintbrush Change. Push over the two face-up cards together (without reversing their order; this makes the reset easier) and drop them on top of your pile. turn over the remaining cards one by one to show that every single card matches.
Comments Tomas always keeps the cards set up for this trick. Therefore, he has a basic reset that can put the cards back into the correct order as soon as he has completed the trick. Pick up the blue packet and arrange the cards back in order, Kings to Ace from the face, and then drop it on top of the face-up red pile. You are now reset. Try this out and you’ll see how easy it is, as you just need to outjog and strip out every other card, then reverse the three pairs that you see are out of order. If you would prefer not to faro shuffle the cards, Tomas offers an easier alternative. We pick up at the point where you have two face-down packets in your hands (a smaller packet with a Five at the face and a larger packet with a King at the face). Drop the top card from the King packet face down onto the table and then a card from the Five packet on top of it. Continue alternating cards in this way until you have exhausted both packets. You must now reverse the order of the entire packet. Tomas does this by dealing through the cards, randomly executing the Paul Curry Swindle of Sorts ploy by way of explaining what he wants his participant to do. You can then hand her the packet and continue as normal. Ffowevcr, if you prefer, you can simply have the spectator go through the procedure three times, or just once.
Credits Herbert Milton created Ihe Sympathetic Cards plot. He first performed it in 1920 and, in 1922, taught it to Leipzig, who eventually published his version in Greater M agic (1938). Tomas’ inspiration for this effect was specifically Ed Mario’s “Leipzig Would Have Loved This!” from Mario Without Tears by Jon Racherbaumer (1983). J.K. Hartman’s Swing Slip Cut was published in Means & Ends (1973). Dai Vernon created a similar handling of the slip cut, but without the actual swing cut. It was eventually published in Volume 2 of Bruce Cervon’s Castle Notebooks (2008) as “Slip Cut in the Hands.” Tomas has a tabled handling of Hartman’s move that works particularly well for Dai Vernon’s classic handling of “Cutting the Aces.” Hold the deck in right-hand end grip and start to execute a swing cut using the right middle finger to swing the cards instead of the index finger. Lower the index finger to rest on top of the moving upper packet and pull back on the top packet (as in the standard handling). Drop the lower packet onto the table, at the same time pushing the top card onto that packet with the right index finger.
How can a trick be both one ahead and one behind? This unique Twisting the Aces handling proves that it is somehow possible! Effect Tomas removes the four Aces and holds them face up. One at a time, in an extremely fair manner, the Aces turn face down. Setup Hold the deck face up and secretly reverse the now bottom card (this can be any card, except an Ace). You could easily do this in performance by executing a Braue Reversal as you turn the deck face up. Handling Spread through the deck and upjog the four Aces. Catch a break above the bottom card as you square up and then execute the Vernon Strip-out Addition as you remove the Aces. You should now have the four face-up Aces with a reversed indifferent card beneath them. Place the deck aside. Spread the top two Aces into your right hand, upjogging the top Ace. Place both Aces on the bottom of the lefthand packet, keeping the upjogged card in place (fig. 1). Call attention to the suit of the outjogged Ace and then square it with the rest of the cards. Tomas likes to execute the classic Dai Vernon twisting move here. To do so, hold the packet in left-hand dealing grip and stretch your left thumb to the far side of the packet (fig. 2, next page). Then, pinch the other side of the packet with the right thumb on top and third finger below (fig. 3, next page). Pull to the right with the right
3. hand to cause the cards to twist one hundred and eighty degrees between the hands (fig. 4). Execute a buckle count to show that the Ace you named earlier has apparently turned face down. Place the final counted card (a face-up Ace) on top of the packet and square up the packet into left-hand dealing grip, catching a break above the bottom card. You will now execute Francis Carlyle’s Paddle Move. Curl your left thumb under the packet (fig. 5) and use it to flip over the lowermost card, as you move the hand forward and palm down to separate the card from the packet and to show the face of the card to the audience (figs. 6 and 7). This move is surprisingly deceptive and allows you to show that the named Ace really has turned face down, whilst setting you up for the next stage. Turn your left hand palm up and peel the right hand’s top card on top of the left hand’s face-down Ace, leaving it outjogged. Place the other cards onto it, square with the bottom card. Name the outjogged Ace before squaring the packet. Repeat the exact same sequence: twisting move, followed by a buckle count (this time placing the last card third from the top of the packet) to show that the card has turned over. Then execute the Carlyle Paddle Move and hold the card face down, as before.
Repeat the sequence two more times (placing the last card third from the top both times), but after you have shown the final magically reversed Ace at the bottom of the packet, peel the right-hand cards onto it, one at the time, and place a double last. Turn the packet face up and buckle spread to show the four Aces. AXEL ADLERCREUTZ'S REVOLT Tomas’ friend, Axel, has developed a handling that only uses the four Aces. Hold them face up in Hearts, Clubs, Diamonds, Spades order. Turn the Ace of Hearts face down and explain that whatever you do to the Heart, the Ace of Diamonds will follow. Execute an Elmsley Count to show two face-down cards and the two black Aces. Execute the Carlyle Paddle Move to show that the lowermost card, the Ace of Diamonds, really has turned over. Place it on the bottom of the packet. Repeat this sequence twice more: Elmsley Count, followed by the Carlyle Paddle Move to magically turn over the other two cards.
Credits Vernon’s “Twisting the Aces” originally appeared in M ore Inner Secrets o f Card M agic by Lewis Ganson (I960). The Carlyle Paddle Move first appeared under Carlyles name within “Carlyles Card” in The Phoenix, No. 48 (November 1943). However, prior to that it was published by Douglas Dexter as “False Turnover With a Card” in Great M agicians' Tricks by Will Goldston (1931). Axel Adlercreutz’s “Revolt” was published in his Alter Reality lecture notes (2007).
The Lie Detector plot is a great premise, but can sometimes lack clarity. Tomas has fixed that by substituting a normal deck for blank cards with writing on them. Effect Tomas presents a small packet of cards as a “portable lie detector. It works by the participant spelling the colour of her selected card, dealing one card for each letter (but she is invited to lie about the colour, if she would like). The top card of the packet is turned over, and it either says “True” or “False,” depending on whether the participant lied or told the truth. This is repeated with the suit of the card, finishing with the selection appearing in the packet. that match the back design of the deck that you are using. Setup Write the word “FALSE” on two of the cards and “TRUE” on another two. Keep the other three cards blank. Arrange the face-down packet as follows, from the top down: FALSE Blank TRUE Blank Blank FALSE TRUE Place a subtle mark on the backs of the blank cards. While this isn’t strictly necessary, it does make the handling a little cleaner toward the end of the routine. Requirements Seven blank-faced cards
M ethod Introduce the lie detector packet and place it onto the table. Have a card selected and then returned to the deck. Control the card to the face of the deck and palm the card in left-hand gamblers cop. Place the deck onto the table and then pick up the lie detector packet, placing it directly on top of the left hand’s copped card. Explain, “/« a m oment; you w ill tell everyone the colour o f you r card, follow ed by its suit. Afier a subconscious calibration, the lie detector w ill reveal the truth. You may lie or tell the truth each time, but the detector simply cannot lie. ” As you explain this, adjust the packet so that you can casually peek the card on the face (the selection). Depending on the colour of the selection, you’ll need to make an adjustment to the packet as follows: Black card: Take the top five cards into your right hand to gesture with them and place them at the bottom of the packet. This is easy to remember as the word “black” has five letters. Red card: By way of demonstration of how the participant will use the lie detector, deal three cards face down onto the table, one on top of another, and then drop the rest of the packet on top. Pick up the packet and explain that she’ll do this a few times, as you deal two more cards onto the table and drop the rest on top. This procedure is also easy to remember as “Red” has three letters, and you are to reverse deal three cards first. There’s one more adjustment to make if the selection is either a Spade or a Diamond (the longest-lettered suits for each colour): you must reverse the order of the top two cards. Tomas simply does this as he explains the lie detector concept, by casually executing a second deal and placing the dealt card straight back on top of the packet. Hand the packet to the participant and ask her if the suit of her card was “Red” or “Black” (remembering that she can lie or tell the truth). She is to spell her answer out loud, placing a card onto the table for each letter, and then to drop the rest of the packet on top. Wait for her to do this, and then ask that she turn the top card over and place the card aside. The card will immediately tell her whether she lied or told the truth.
Now that you know the colour, ask for the suit. The patter is specific to the colour, as follows: Black: “ What was the suit o f your card? Clubs or SpadesF Red: “ Was you r card a Heart or a D iamond?’ (Note that no ending “s” is used for red suits.) Again, by repeating the dealing procedure and removing the top card, the audience will be able to see whether the participant was lying or telling the truth. Place the top card aside, as before. Finish by saying, I f the lie detector is calibrated correctly, it can actually reveal you r true thoughts when you spell the word ‘True. ’First, let’s calibrate it. Just deal as many cards as you like onto the table and throw the rest on top. This may seem random to you, but believe me, it’s not random to you r subconscious!” After the participant has followed this procedure (ensuring that she deals more than one card), ask that she pick up the packet and spell the world “True” in the same way. Ask her not to look at the top card, but to place it face down on top of the two true or false cards that she placed aside earlier. Pick up the rest of the packet (five cards) and, if needed, change the order of them so that the three blank cards are at the face (using the marks so that you can do it with the packet face down), as you say, “I ’m glad you chose those exact answers and that exact calibration deal. Otherwise you w ould have drawn a blankT Turn the packet face up and execute a Hamman Count to show five blank cards. Steal the focus away from the blank cards by asking if the spectator is ready for the truth. Let her turn over the face-down card to discover an apparent copy of her selection. Credits The Lie Speller plot comes courtesy of Martin Gardner who first published the plot in Joe Berg’s Here’s New M agic (1937). Gardner’s inspiration was a problem posed by Vincent Dalban to Theodore Annemann published in Jinx magazine (number 4, January 1933). It was Tom Stone who suggested this particular variant of the plot to Tomas. Tom also helped streamline the handling. The underlying principle stems from Jim Steinmeyer’s “Remote Control” {The New Invocation #43, February 1988), and the idea to combine it with the Lie Detector plot was thought of by Jon Racherbaumer and presented in his “Dunbury Lie Speller” {MAGIC, May 1993).
This is another Blomberg blockbuster: a version o f Paul Harris Re-Set where the cards transpose even when in four different pockets. Other than the fact that it is impeccably clean, the advantages over other routines o f this nature are you don’t always need a table and you don’t need to wear a jacket. Effect Tomas has an audience member sign the four Fives and the four Queens and clearly places the Queens into four different pockets. He then makes the Fives change places with the Queens one by one. Next, he makes the cards change places all at once, cleanly removing the four Queens from his pocket. Finally, he makes the four Fives vanish from his hands and very cleanly appear in four different pockets. Handling Ask one spectator to name any value from Two to Ten (say, Fives) and another spectator to name any value from Jack to King (say, Queens). Remove the Fives and Queens from the deck and put the deck aside. Have the Queens and the Fives signed by the two participants who chose them. This strategy of having the two values freely named is a great way to remove the thought of duplicates, so that having the cards signed is not essential in this routine. Take back the signed cards, holding them face up with the Fives on top. Arrange the suits as follows (while not strictly necessary, this order does make the false counts far more deceptive) from the top down: Fives: Clubs, Diamonds, Spades, Hearts. Queens: Spades, Clubs, Hearts, Diamonds.
Hold the packet in right-hand end grip and explain, “/ am goin g to demonstrate how a card cheat m ight switch cards in a game. The Fives w ill represent some bad cards he m ight get dealt." Whilst maintaining the right-hand end grip, lower the packet into left-hand dealing grip. Place your left thumb on top of the topmost Five. Pull the packet away to the right. Due to the friction caused by the left hand, this will automatically leave the top and bottom cards in the left hand, aligned perfectly (fig. 1). Continue by peeling the next Five on top of the double, but catch a little-finger break below it. As you peel the third Five, secretly steal back the Five of Diamonds under the packet. Finally, fairly peel the last Five into your left hand. Turn your left hand palm down and put the packet in front of you onto the table with its long side toward you. Spread the tabled packet forward to form a short spread of four cards, indicating that no cards were added or taken away. The packet consists of three Fives, with the Queen of Diamonds on top. When performing without a table, Tomas simply holds this packet between his lips with the face of the packet visible (there is ample opportunity to remove the cards to allow you to speak within the routine). You are now apparently going to put a Queen into each of your four trouser pockets. Say, “ This leaves m e with the two black Queens,” as you peel the top, two, black Queens into your left hand, stealing the first back under the packet as you peel off the second black Queen. “And the two red Queens..." Gesture with the right-hand packet. “ These represent good cards that you m ight g et in a game, so I ’ll keep these cards. Actually, Fll p u t them into fo u r different pockets." Keep the outer edge of the right packet covered with your right fingers, and the outer edge of the left packet covered with your left index finger, to hide the real conditions. You will now apparently place a Queen into each pocket. Turn your left hand palm inward and insert it into your left pocket (with the back of the card outward). Act as though you are pushing off a card into your pocket (really you don’t do anything). At the same time, insert your right hand into your right trouser pocket, with the packet still in end grip and the faces of the cards toward the audience. Push off the innermost two cards and remove both hands at the same time. In the right hand should be the Queen of Hearts, and the left hand should hold the Queen of Clubs. Snap the two cards against each other to emphasise that there is only one card in each hand.
Turn to your right to allow the audience to see your left hand insert its Queen of Clubs into the left back pocket, face inward. As the card enters the pocket, push it directly into left-hand classic palm. Bring your hand with its secret card out of the pocket, as you turn to the left and the right hand inserts the Queen of Hearts into the right back pocket (back outward). Your whole body will cover the left hand and its palmed card at this point. Bring out your right hand, open it widely and move it toward the edge of the table, where the packet of Fives is. As all eyes are focused on your right hand and its movement, bring your left hand over the tabled packet and brush the cards off the table into the waiting right hand, secretly adding the palmed Queen of Clubs on top. If the Fives were between your lips, just reach up to remove them from the lips to add the Queen of Clubs to their back, as the right hand pockets its Queen of Hearts. Say, “ The Fives represent the cards the gam bler actually g et dealt in the ga m ed Buckle spread the face-down packet to show four cards, flashing the face of the bottom card (Five of Hearts) with your left hand before placing it on top of the spread. A buckle spread is a way of hiding a block of cards (or, in this case, just one card) in a spread. The cards that are hidden are directly above the bottom card. In brief, spread off the top two cards of the packet into the right hand. As you do this, buckle the bottommost card with your left index finger, allowing you to reach into the break with the right fingers and to take all of the cards above the bottom card under the right hand’s spread. Finally, take the bottom card, too. You have counted four cards whilst hiding a fifth. You are now ready to make the Fives apparently transpose with the pocketed Queens. Tomas’ handling for this sequence is based loosely on Jack Carpenter’s handling from his “Multiplex Reset.” We pick up at the point where you have openly transferred the Five of Hearts to the top of the packet. As you square up, catch a break below the top two cards of the packet, and then take the top two, as one, into right-hand end grip. Spread the lowermost three cards to show that you hold just four cards (fig. 2). Gently rub the right hand’s double card against your leg, and then angle your hand to show that the Five of Hearts has changed into the Queen of Clubs. Turn the double face down onto the packet and deal just the top card onto the table (or hold it between your lips if you don’t have a table).
To make the second card change, re-grip the packet in right-hand end grip. Peel off the top card into the left hand, and then turn the remaining cards face up, taking them back into right-hand end grip. Peel the top card (Five of Spades) off the packet and slide it onto the bottom of the face-up packet (fig. 3). Shake the packet and explain, “ Watch the Five o f Spades change.” Drag the Five of Clubs onto the left hand’s packet, flipping it over, dhis brings a double card into view with the Queen of Diamonds on top and the Five of Spades secretly below it (fig. 4). Turn the double card face down onto the left hand’s packet and place the top card on top of the (apparent) tabled Queen. The last two Fives will change into Queens at the same time. Re-grip the packet in right-hand end grip and then peel out the bottom card, allowing you to show the audience the Five at the face of the right hand’s double card (fig. 5). Replace the double on top of the left hand’s card and shake the packet. Turn over the cards to show a Queen at the face of the packet, and then peel out the bottom card to show two Queens. 5.
Take the single Queen of Diam onds into the left hand. If you like, you can snap the cards together to show their apparent singularity, or do as Tomas does and pinch the double card with your index finger at the bottom and thumb at the top, and allow the second finger to flick off the bottom of the card (fig. 6) to snap it into view (fig. 7). Place the single card face down on top of the two previously produced cards, followed by the double. Pick up the packet and turn over the top two cards as one to reinforce that this is the Queen packet. Explain, “This is a rather slow way o f sw itching the cards. In a real game, it w ould be done in a blink o f an eye, like this... ” Flip the top double face down, and then turn the packet face up and execute an Elmsley Count to show that the Fives have apparently returned to your hand, placing the last card on the bottom of the packet. As you square the card with the bottom of the packet, allow the tips of your right fingers to contact the card above them, pushing it to the right a little. This allows your left little finger to acquire a break above the bottom two cards. Continue, “ This means that the Queens went back to the pockets.” Keeping the packet in left-hand dealing grip, bottom palm the two cards below the break. This frees the empty right hand to reach into the right front pocket and to remove the card closest to your body. As you do so, push over the top card of the left-hand packet a little to expose the card below it (fig. 8, exposed view) and to help cover the palmed cards. 7.